Breaking And Entering
by Crystal Fissure
Summary: Eli buys Clare tickets to a play to apologize for his cold behaviour. But, when Clare forgets the tickets in her locker, Eli convinces her to break into the school to retrieve them. EClare fluff ensues.
1. Counting Stars

**A/N: Hey guys! This is my second EClare oneshot. I decided to write it after all the overwhelmingly positive reviews I got from the first one. Seriously, you guys said words that were so beautiful and I can't honestly tell you how grateful I was for them. I wrote this one for you guys! Thanks so much for everything! :)**

**I started writing this after _Still Fighting It Part II_ but didn't get to finish until now. And after watching Adam and Eli in the last two episodes, this fanfic just makes them look completely OOC -_- *le sigh*. Hopefully not too much. :P**

**This was originally supposed to be a oneshot but turned out to be close to 20,000 words. O_o So, I decided to give you guys the first part right here and the second will be coming _really_ soon. Until then, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing!**

* * *

"_One of Shakespeare's finest works, Romeo and Juliet will be at the Toronto Center for the Performing Arts for one weekend only! Tickets are now on sale…"_

Clare sighed in frustration. That is literally the _fourth_ time that commercial played within the last ten minutes. How is she supposed to be able to concentrate on her homework when the television constantly blares out advertisements for contests, plays and weight loss regimens that probably don't even work?

"Mom, does the T.V. have to be so loud? I need to work on my science paper," she whined.

Her mother rolled her eyes and turned to look at her daughter. "Clare, you don't have to work on the dining room table. Your father and I bought you a beautiful desk for your room, why don't you ever use it? You'd have all the silence you need, sweetie."

Clare sighed softly, shutting her laptop. "I know… but I like it in the kitchen. It helps me concentrate…"

Her mother gave her a half smile. Or was it a smirk? Clare couldn't figure out the face her mother made. Lately she hadn't been able to read people's faces anymore. Ever since she met her wonderful new friend in English class, smirking had taken a whole new meaning.

"I'm going upstairs," she said briskly as she walked by her mother and ascended the steps to her room. Her science paper wasn't due for another week and she really didn't want to continue it anyways. Another thought was occupying her mind anyways…

She had English tomorrow. And even though she had promised Eli she'd give him some time, it was always the highlight of her day to see him.

* * *

Clare leisurely poked Adam in the ear as she strolled to her seat. He had his arms curled on his desk, his face buried in his embrace as he hoped to catch a few more seconds of sleep before class started. He groaned loudly as he felt her poke his ear. Damn, what does a guy need to do to get a few more minutes of sleep, eh?

"Wake up, sleepy-head, Ms. Dawes will be here any minute," she said casually as she sat at her seat, setting her pile of books on her desk.

Adam groaned again as he slowly raised his head. "Good morning, Adam, how are you? I'm very sleepy, thanks for asking, Clare. In that case, Adam, I will let you sleep and _not_ poke your ear and wake you up…"

Clare turned to face him, shooting him with her best death glare. "Ha ha, Adam, very amusing. Why are you so tired, anyways?"

Adam propped his tired head on his elbow, yawning loudly. "A new issue of _The China Town Saga_ came out yesterday. It's 485 pages long…"

"Ah, I get it," she said, smiling at her sleepy friend. Adam and Eli would probably give their lives up for their comic books. Obviously Adam would give up a night's sleep for 485 pages of cartoon goodness.

"By the way, what did Eli need to give you anyways?" he asked, yawning loudly as he stretched his arms out in an attempt to wake himself up.

Clare froze. She had been removing a few pens from her pencil case when she stopped, her eyes widening with surprise. Give her what?

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. She tried to look calm and cool but the strain in her voice said otherwise. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not; after all, he could be just babbling out of exhaustion. But… what if he wasn't? Adam squinted slightly, still trying to wake himself up. If he didn't answer her soon, she was going to have a nervous breakdown.

He yawned again, this time softer than before. He was almost fully awake. "I don't know. He said he had something for you when I spoke to him last night. Didn't you see him today?"

Clare shook her head vigorously, still surprised. Eli Goldsworthy had something to give to her? A million different options raced through her mind. Did he borrow her notes? No, he never has. It couldn't be a present; it wasn't close to Christmas or her birthday. She went from one option to another as the students began filling up the room and Adam decided to attempt to sleep again. He awoke abruptly to the sound of Ms. Dawes snapping her fingers beside his ear.

"Good morning, students. Look lively, today we'll be looking over last week's exam. Some of you did not meet my expectations, which is surprising. I'll be passing out your exams shortly and pay attention to the notes I wrote at the top left corner!" she said as she fumbled with her bag, lifting her head to gaze at the classroom, "Well, Mr. Goldsworthy, glad to see you could join us today."

Clare watched as Eli nodded to their teacher and casually seated himself at his usual desk in front of her, not even bothering to turn around and greet her or Adam. She furrowed her brow at his behaviour. Weren't they passed the "Ignore Clare" stage?

"Good morning, Eli," she said boldly. Well, she definitely wasn't going to accept unconventional behaviour from him again.

"Good morning, Clare," he said casually, not turning his head to look at her, "How are you today?"

Clare stuttered, slightly at a loss for words. She was expecting another cold shoulder, not an actual polite reply. "I-I'm doing fine. You?"

"Never better."

And that was it. A polite discourse and their conversation was over. Clare hadn't realized that, during her discourse with Eli, she had slightly edged herself forward. She straightened herself and turned to Adam, giving him a confused look as she subliminally asked him what was going on. Adam merely shrugged in response. So, he didn't get it either…

Clare had trouble concentrating in class today. She thought they went back to being friends again, that the evasion and ignorance was over. After they had kissed as a part of their film project a few weeks ago, Eli resorted to minimizing all contact with her and went as far as skipping class for a chance not to cross her. Needing closure, Clare confronted him, causing him to spill his dark secret to her.

_I can't not be friends with you. I like you too much._

Clare replayed his words in her head over and over, trying to make some sense out of them. He admitted to feeling guilt and sadness over the death of his ex-girlfriend last year. And although Clare still felt as if there was something between them, she decided to give him the space he needed to sort out his feelings and recover. This was over a month ago. Afterwards, they were back on speaking terms and were just as close as they had been before. So then… why was he giving her the cold shoulder now? Suddenly, out of nowhere? Well… it couldn't really be much of a cold shoulder if he's being courteous, right? At least he was being polite… and vague. Very vague. What could he possibly be hiding behind his emerald eyes and lopsided smirk?

And what in the world did he have to give to her?

"Ms. Edwards?"

Clare slightly shook her head, returning to reality. The entire class had their gaze shifted towards her, some of them actually chuckling. They looked as if they were waiting for an answer from her, which she would be able to provide had she been paying attention to the question. She smiled slightly at Ms. Dawes, shaking her head in confusion.

"Pay attention, Ms. Edwards, this classroom isn't the place for daydreaming."

Clare shifted her gaze beside her towards Adam, who offered an encouraging shrug of his shoulders. Not much but sweet nevertheless. She hung her head in shame and dug herself into her work. Little did she know about the mysterious boy who sat in front of her, smiling widely and snickering at her expense.

* * *

"Could that class have lasted any longer?" Adam complained as they left the classroom at the end of the period, "I think I actually _felt_ a few of my brain cells dying."

"I agree, exam revisions are slightly tedious and dull. Maybe it would have helped had you gotten any sleep last night?" Eli commented.

"Thanks for the observation, Eli," Adam said sarcastically, shifting his eyes, "I need to get to my next class. Catch up with you guys later."

Clare watched as Adam scurried down the hallway, obviously trying to walk on his own rather than wait for his escort. She felt bad for him. He had teachers escorting him around the school to prevent any further bullying. A part of her wished he had stayed with them. He wouldn't be humiliated again. And, had he been there, she would have probably felt a little less awkward around Eli.

Eli turned to face her, a signature smirk brightening his face. "Hey, come to my locker for a second."

Clare nodded in response. Oh, so now he's acting mysterious again? Avoiding her one instance and then acting friendly again? Does he even realize what he's doing? Maybe she shouldn't accompany him to his locker!

_Stop overreacting! _she scolded to herself. Last time she overreacted, she handed in an edited part of their film project that Ms. Dawes didn't accept. Maybe Eli was having a rough day. After all, she promised she'd give him space. And space is what he'll get. She took a few breaths as she watched him open his locker. Here goes nothing…

"I have something I want to give you…" he said, searching through his disorganized locker. Clare felt her heart skip a beat. So Adam _wasn't_ babbling nonsense this morning.

She watched as he pulled out two strands of tough paper that looked oddly like tickets, handing them to her. She picked up the tickets, reading the fine print that inked the side. They were tickets for Saturday night's showing of Romeo and Juliet. That annoying commercial that played over and over on T.V. every night. She felt her jaw drop slightly as she continued reading the print that covered the tickets. These mustn't have been cheap.

"Romeo and Juliet? This Saturday?" she asked, smiling slightly.

He nodded. "I thought it'd be appropriate, what with the disastrous film project we had on it."

"Disastrous?" she asked, smiling brightly, "I think we did a good job with it. The poisoned cola was genius."

"_Juliet decided that Romeo wasn't worth it so she chose life instead. Go Juliet,_" he quoted her sarcastically.

Clare's eyes widened. That wasn't the final version of the video they handed in to Ms. Dawes. But Eli had a good laugh at the edited version she created out of frustration over his cold behaviour towards her. He laughed as she shook her head, gazing at the tickets in her hand.

"So…is this why you were acting weird this morning?" she asked curiously, waving the tickets in the air.

"I was looking for the perfect way to ask you," he answered, his expression somewhat neutral as he gazed into her eyes. Clare both loved and hated when he did that. For one, he was always able to tell what she was thinking through her eyes, which wasn't always convenient. But, it was the perfect excuse for her to sneak a much anticipated look at his beautiful eyes as well.

"This is really sweet of you, Eli, thank you. I'd love to go," she answered, smiling brightly. She had to do everything she could to make it seem she was grateful. She really did want to go to the play with him. But a momentary lapse in judgement caused by her gazing into his emerald eyes always had the worst effect on her conversation. Forget the eyes, Clare-Bear…

Eli laughed, nodding at her. "Great. We'll have fun, I promise."

Clare couldn't help but notice a little happy chime in his last sentence. The last time she heard him speak that way, he was explaining how he got Fitz, the bully, arrested. Should she be worried?

No, she shouldn't.

"Alright. But I'm keeping the tickets until then. Your locker is a pigsty; you'll lose them in there."

Clare knew exactly what he would do next. He would scowl at her, as if in pain, and place a hand over his broken heart. Which is exactly what he did.

"Ouch, Clare, that's my locker you're talking about. Besides, pigs are very clean animals," he retorted, smirking victoriously.

Clare smiled and rolled her eyes as she waited for him to gather his books, or at least the ones he could find. Her heart beat rather unevenly as she gripped the tickets tightly. She was going to see Romeo and Juliet with Eli this Saturday. Her heart fluttered at the mere thought of them together at a play. She also agreed to give him time to sort himself out. Clare's smile fell at the thought. Maybe it would be a bad idea to get her hopes up…

* * *

"So, he gave you tickets to a play?" Adam asked with a rather surprised tone as he gazed at the tickets Clare placed in his hand. The long day had finally come to an end and Adam had come to her locker, hoping to get a glimpse of what Eli had given her. So, he really was interested!

"Yeah, for this Saturday. Just the two of us going to see Romeo and Juliet. Isn't it neat?" she said softly, trying her best to hide the excitement and giddiness in her voice. Adam didn't need to know how happy she was. Unluckily for her, even after her best efforts, the excitement was still apparent in her expression. Adam had no trouble reading her thoughts.

He nodded, his expression still confused. "Hm. I officially do not understand Eli. At all."

Clare rolled her eyes at him, still smiling. "Oh, come now, Adam. What's there to understand? He bought tickets for me and him to see a play!"

"And last time I checked, you gave him time to sort himself out. Don't tell me you forgot about that?"

Clare's smile fell. Yeah, she remembered. She had hoped that, if she was in denial about it, it would eventually go away. Obviously that didn't work.

"I was kind of hoping that wasn't the case," she admitted softly, turning back towards her locker.

Adam sighed, handing the tickets back to her. Great, now he made her sad. Well, it was better than getting her hopes up and just having them crushed on Saturday.

"Look, Clare…" Adam began, at a loss for words. How the heck do you make a girl feel better? This definitely wasn't Adam's strong point. "If Eli didn't need space anymore, he would've let you know. Maybe he was trying to be nice? Making up for avoiding and ignoring you last month instead of just _telling_ you the truth?"

Clare pursed her lips, deep in thought. That made a lot of sense. And it didn't hurt that it made her feel slightly better. Hey, at least he was considerate?

"He did say he wanted to make up for that disastrous film project," she said, smiling slightly at him.

Adam looked away, slightly disgusted. Yeah, that project was somewhat disastrous, wasn't it? He turned to gaze at his friend again, this time flashing a small, understanding smile.

Clare slammed her locker shut, causing Adam to jump slightly from the sound. "Okay, I understand. It was a considerate gift of apology. We're going to a play _just as friends_. And we'll have fun."

Adam nodded. "Yeah. Exactly."

Clare smiled at him as she fiddled with the lock. Adam was right. If Eli didn't need any more time, he would've let her know by now. And the tickets were a very nice gift. They will have fun on Saturday, just like the normal friends they are. And they will enjoy the ending of the play and tease Clare's alternate ending. And they will laugh about it at school on Monday. And they will still be friends.

And Clare will not raise her hopes up. But she _will_ look forward to Saturday night. After all, going to a play with Eli Goldsworthy must be an experience all in itself.

* * *

Clare could not believe how slowly the rest of the week had dragged on. She counted the seconds to the end of every class and even counted the seconds during the dull lunch hours she would spend listening to Alli contemplate which dress she should wear to the dance or listening to Eli and Adam disagree on the presence of stereotypes from this month's issue of whatever comic book it was they were interested in. Usually, she would pay attention to these things. But, knowing that those two tickets were resting in that tiny magnetic pouch she kept on her locker door made her anticipate the night of the show that much more. And when something exciting is coming your way, the wait leading up to that moment always seems that much longer. Even when the final bell rang on Friday afternoon and the students jumped with joy and scurried out of the halls in excitement for their next 48 hours of freedom, Clare still felt annoyed over the slow ticking of the clock in the hallway. She survived three days so far; she can surely survive another 24 hours, right?

"Hey, Clare!"

The sound of his voice startled her, almost causing her to drop the books in her arms. She couldn't tell if she was happy or not to see him. Obviously, she was always happy to see her friend. But seeing him now just reminded her that she had 24 more hours to bear until tomorrow's show.

"Hi, Eli," she answered with a smile as he came to a stop beside her. Damn, his bangs were in his face. Was it too much to ask to want to see his eyes? His perfect gemstone eyes that shined like-

_Stop it, Clare. Smile politely_, she told herself as she gave him a friendly smile.

Eli smirked in response. She can't hide anything from him. One look and her eyes would just tell him everything. He could tell she was distracted by something. Adam did tell him she was really looking forward to tomorrow…

"So, I was wondering about tomorrow. The show starts at 9:00. How about I pass by and pick you up at around 8:15?"

She nodded, resting her blue eyes on his gaze. "Yeah, that sounds good."

She had very pretty eyes. He couldn't even express how happy he was the day he ran over and crushed her glasses. No frame or glass could ever compliment such pretty sapphires she had for eyes. He was glad the first thing he had ever said to her was how pretty her eyes were.

"Great. I'll be seeing you tomorrow then. Oh, and don't forget, it's a play. Dress up nice."

Clare smirked, beginning to make her way towards the exit of the school. "Does this mean I'll finally get to see Eli Goldsworthy in a suit?"

He smiled in response. Clare smirking? If she wanted to pull off an Eli original, she'd have to do better than that. "Against my will. If I went looking like I do now, they'd probably deny me entry."

She rolled her eyes in response. "Thank goodness for that."

"Ouch, Clare, again?" he said sarcastically, faking an injury on his heart, "First my locker and now my clothes? Anything else repulsive about me that I should know about?"

She set both hands on the handles of her bike, smiling at him. Eli may be smart and witty but Clare was able to find ways to tease him as well. "Well, I'm hearing rumours about repulsive body odour that helped you win tickets to a concert in Hamilton a few weeks ago."

Eli laughed. He and Adam had won concert tickets from Sav by keeping their hands on a truck as a part of a contest. Most of the other competitors surrounding him had dropped out due to his lack of deodorant.

"And it was a very successful strategy, Edwards. I won the tickets, didn't I?" he replied, smirking at her as she mounted her bike.

"Strategic or not, it's still repulsive," she said, kicking the stand of her bike to the side, ready to depart.

Eli slowly backed away towards the parking lot, giving her space to take off. "Fine. I'll shower before picking you up tomorrow. Happy?"

She nodded, squinting as the sun shone in her eyes. The sun was shining directly at her, blinding her slightly. She could still make out Eli's form as she watched him back away towards the parking lot, waving goodbye to her in the process.

"See you at 8:15, Clare!" she heard him shout as he scampered across the street, cutting off a car as it crossed the school zone.

"Bye, Eli," she said softly, not expecting him to have heard her. Someday, he was going to get himself killed if he kept crossing the street without looking both ways… She smiled to herself as she took off down the street, pedalling along with traffic as her heart raced in her chest. The next twenty four hours were going to feel like a _very_ long time.

* * *

**Hope you guys are enjoying it so far. What will happen on Saturday night? Next chapter is the date! :)**


	2. The Investigation

**A/N: Whoo! I got some _really_ positive feedback for the first chapter so I'm hoping this one doesn't disappoint. Thanks to my awesome reviewers, you guys are the absolute best! *huggles* I wanted to upload this before the finale tonight. After watching part 1 last night, is anyone else as completely _stoked_ as I am right now? :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or any of its affiliates. I also do not own Sugarcult, any of their music, or anything revolving around them. I do not any song mentioned in this story.**

**Date night's here guys! Hope you enjoy it. :)**

* * *

Clare attempted to control her breathing as she paced across her room. She had just fit herself into her favourite navy blue dress she wore at one of her mother's church fundraisers and applied a light, shimmering dust to her eyelids. She thought she looked adequate enough for a play. Her dress was very classy and, although she never liked wearing too much makeup, she even took the liberty to apply a clear, shimmering sparkle dust above her eyelids. Simple but classy and sophisticated, the latter being the only thing that mattered to enter the theatre house anyways. She contemplated whether she should add some shimmer to her lips as well. Would lip gloss be too much? Who was she going to impress anyways? Her navy blue dress already satisfied the only dress code required to enter the theatre and the shimmering eyelids were just an added bonus. She and Eli are going as friends. She didn't need to impress him. Lip gloss was out of the question.

Clare sighed in defeat. She didn't know why she even bothered to argue with herself over lip gloss. She knew she was only distracting herself from turning around and facing her mirror. With a deep breath, she halted in front of her closet door, turning around to gaze at her mirror.

She had to admit, she didn't look as bad as she thought she did. The hem of her dress was the perfect length, reaching right up to her knees. The soft shimmer on her eyelids complimented her eyes and the little dainty pieces of silver jewellery she added here and there flattered the dark shade of her dress. She sighed with relief. She had feared looking like a floozy and it was quite a relief to look at herself in her mirror to see that she had not.

Grabbing a small black purse and a navy shawl, she shut the lights in her room and made her way downstairs, wondering what her mother would think of her classy look.

As if on cue, she heard her mother gasp at the foot of her stairs when she caught a glimpse of her daughter. She had her hands clapped around her face as she watched Clare descend the final steps, a look of utter surprise on her face. Clare wasn't sure if she was marvelling at how she looked or fuming with disappointment.

"Clare, you look so pretty! Is that the dress you wore at my fundraiser a few months ago? It's absolutely gorgeous!" her mother commented, adding a few gasps and cries of joy here and there as she circled her daughter, "If it gets cold-"

"I have a shawl, mom," she answered, lifting the navy shawl she held in her hands.

"That's my girl, always prepared. Now if you need anything, call the house line, we'll be here all night. Don't let anyone near your purse; there are pickpockets even in the theatre. Unbelievable, these days they would even steal from you in church if they had the-"

"Mom!" Clare said loudly, interrupting her mother's rant, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Her mother's eyes widened at her sudden outburst but nodded in response. She did have a tendency to ramble when it came to her daughter's safety. What kind of a mother would she be if she didn't? But, she knew she could trust Clare. She had taught her daughter well to be vigilant and safe.

"Okay. Have fun tonight, I hear this show received great reviews and I know you'll have a good time," she said soothingly, patting her daughter's back, "Now get going! You don't want to be late!"

Clare nodded and scurried over to the pile of shoes beside the door. She picked up the pair of classy navy shoes she always wore with that dress. They were simple yet elegant, just like her dress, and had small heels, which allowed her to walk a straight line without tumbling over. They weren't as high as the ones Alli wore to school every day but were heels nonetheless. She remembered when Alli had first seen them. She had called them 'Clare-heels'.

Clare breathed in the night air as her mother unlocked and opened the door for her. Well, the moment she had been waiting for all week was finally here. Yet, instead of feeling excitement and anticipation, she felt nothing but nervousness and butterflies. Was it going to be like this all night?

"Have a great night, Clare. Remember, if anything, call us right away," her mother assured her as Clare exited the house.

She nodded in response. "I will, mom. Have a good night, love you."

She watched as her mother closed and locked the door behind her. She was finally free. Free to spend an evening watching a play with Eli. Never in a million years did she think she would actually be doing something like this. And Eli was the least likely person she would have imagined going to a play with. She thought maybe she should begin walking towards the corner of her street, just in case her mom decided to look out the window when Eli came to pick her up. If she saw her daughter climb into a hearse, she'd probably have a heart attack. She wouldn't have this problem had Eli decided to be normal like the rest of the guys in school. But maybe that's what gave him his mysterious charm. Non conforming, never cares what others think of him, capable of getting the school bully arrested… yet Clare got to see the softer, friendlier side of him he doesn't expose too often. She had to admit, that was her favourite trait of his…

"Planning on walking tonight? You won't get there on time."

Clare jumped in surprise. She whirled around to face the street, searching for the source of that last discourse. She obviously knew whom that voice belonged to, but the sight of the hearse double parked on the street still startled her. It's a hearse, for heaven's sake!

"My mother will most likely call the cops if she saw me step into a hearse from our living room window," she answered, stepping towards the car.

Eli stepped out of the driver's seat and made his way around to the other side, clutching his heart in pain. He was about to say something until Clare interjected.

"Let me guess. You were going to say 'Ouch, Clare, that hit close to home!' while pretending my last comment ripped your heart to shreds," she said, humorously mimicking his gestures.

Eli raised an eyebrow. "Ouch, Clare. Real ouch. Out of all the comments that have ripped my heart to shreds, that one is by far the worst."

She laughed in response. Okay, he had won this battle. The night was young, though. She would get him back eventually. But not now. Now, she seemed to be captivated by something much more interesting…

Eli had actually dressed up for the night… somewhat. He had paid homage to the traditional suit; although completely clad in black, at least the shoes, pants and shirt were classy. Even the white tie and belt added to the classiness. On the other hand, his shirt was not tucked, his sleeves were rolled up, his collar dishevelled and his tie looked as if he had hastily made it and thrown it on in a matter of seconds. Clare was honestly surprised; he had dressed up appropriately enough for a play yet never strayed away from his own personal style. She didn't imagine he could pull it off.

"Clare?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice, a surprised look gleaming in her eyes. How long had she been standing there gaping at him? It must've been quite some time; otherwise he wouldn't be calling her name and snapping her out of her daydream. She mentally kicked herself. She promised Adam and herself not to expect anything. So why does she constantly let her mind run away with stupidities like this? Praying he hadn't noticed, she smiled brightly and nodded as she slowly made her way towards the passenger side. She kept her expression identical as she watched him open the passenger door for her, gesturing her to step inside.

"Courteous, I see?" she commented as she took a seat inside.

Eli propped himself against the car door. "I'm taking a girl to a play. I think acting like a gentleman is required on my part."

She smiled. "And here I thought you simply wanted to be nice to me."

Eli smirked as he shut her door, at a loss for words. He wasn't sure whether their playful teasing struck a little too close to home just now. Of course he wanted to be nice to her. Yet now, his ridiculous choice of words made it seem as if he felt forced to be nice to her. As if he never really meant any sweet or polite gesture he did for her. Eli Goldsworthy never was at a loss for words. He always had a vast arsenal of snarky remarks or sarcastic comments to throw around. And now, this one English partner of his was actually _able_ to throw him off slightly. He cursed himself as he made his way around to the driver's seat, shutting his door and hastily starting the engine. One momentary lapse of judgement was enough for one night. Nobody gets away with winning twice with him.

They spent most of the ride in silence. Eli stole a few glances at her whenever he could escape paying attention to the road, watching her observe the scenery out her window or wrinkle her nose as she gazed at the trinkets on the dashboard. He never kept anything bizarre on the car's dashboard; Clare just seemed to feel strange about riding in the front seat of a hearse.

He had the radio on, playing a random channel he landed on when searching for a station that didn't sound garbled or filled with static. The music was soft and the volume was low but he couldn't help but notice how her lips gently moved on occasions, mouthing the words to the song that was playing. It was a surprise in itself how she was even able to hear the song at all; the volume was really low. The corners of his lips pulled up into a slight smile as he raised the volume a bit.

"You know this song?" he asked suddenly, startling her slightly from her daydream.

She nodded lightly in response. "I never liked the band. But this song is pretty."

He kept his eyes on the road as he continued his interrogation. "What's it called?"

"_The Investigation_ by Sugarcult," she said softly, keeping her eyes straight ahead as well. She was still in some sort of dreamy state as she continued, "Your type of music."

He heard her chuckle slightly at her last statement. His type of music, eh? Sugarcult… he'd heard of them. He maybe knew one or two songs of theirs. But this one didn't ring a bell.

"I've never heard this song before," he said, "Or any other song entitled something as strange as _The Investigation_."

Clare turned to face him, no longer in her state of dreaminess as a smile formed upon her face. "It makes sense. The lyrics constantly imply an investigation."

He heard her chuckle slightly as she saw his expression shift from neutral to playfully confused while keeping his eyes on the road. "An investigation? For what? Mass murder?"

"No, silly. For love."

He felt even more confused than before. "Alright, just… Tell me exactly what this song is about."

Clare's smile fell slightly. "I don't think I could tell you what he was thinking when he wrote it."

He sighed as they pulled up to a red light. He smirked faintly as he turned to face her. "Clare, music contains poetry. They can be interpreted any way the reader chooses. What do you think the song is about?"

He half expected her to smile in response. She did not, much to his dismay. She kept her expression neutral as she shifted her gaze to watch the road again. Were the lyrics that heartbreaking?

"It's about how he's in love with a wonderful girl," she began, "She is everything he could ever ask for. And, if they were to fall in love, it would be the perfect love. He would investigate the perfect life with her."

Eli chuckled in response. "If it's so perfect, what's stopping him?"

"He feels undeserving of her. He feels guilty and insignificant. As if someone as worthless as he is shouldn't have the right to be happy."

Eli's face abruptly fell. Complete silence overtook the car as he turned to face the road, stepping lightly on the gas pedal at the sight of the green light. Did she do this on purpose? Did she really deliberately explain some cheap, unrealistic meaning to a random song to bring up the painful moment when he finally gathered enough courage to tell her his dark secret? Did she even realize how hard it was for him? Is she getting any amusement out of this? He felt his breath shorten slightly as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

No. Clare was a saint in every way. She would never hurt him like that, or ever gain amusement from his troubled past. Maybe that's why her expression fell when he asked her to explain it for him. She wanted to spare him some melancholy, if only for a while. He relaxed his grip and listened closely to the words that trickled through the stereo.

_This could be perfect  
If I wasn't worthless  
__If I could be a part of your world  
Leave this all behind  
I would investigate the perfect love with you_

How could songs these days be so damn accurate? And what were the odds that Clare knew this song as well? And how in the world did it just so happen that this one song, out of millions of others, begins to play at that one exact moment? Maybe he was overreacting slightly. Or maybe he had finally found some form of closure and wasn't reacting very intelligently towards it.

Clare suddenly gasped loudly, her eyes widening with fear as she clapped her hands over her mouth. Eli almost ran through a red light, startled by her sudden outburst.

"Clare, what's wrong?" he asked firmly.

"The tickets…" she said softly, "…I forgot them."

Eli sighed with relief. Here he thought he had just run over a squirrel or something. "Okay, not a big deal. I'll just make a left on the next street and we'll be back at your place before you know it."

"No, Eli, I didn't forget them at home," she said, her hands shaking with fear, "They're in my locker. At _school_."

The car came to a screeching halt in the middle of the deserted suburban neighbourhood, causing them to lightly hit the backrests of their seats. Clare turned to gaze at him, praying fervently that he wasn't upset with her. After all, she was the one to suggest she hold on to the tickets until the day of the play. He held a neutral expression, as if deep in thought, as he stared out onto the road, blinking occasionally. This expression of detachment, not knowing whether he was glad or upset, frightened her the most.

"Clare…" he began softly, keeping his eyes on the road before him, "How opposed are you to breaking into school?"

Clare felt her heart stop. "B-break into Degrassi? Are you serious?"

He turned to face her, gazing into her pretty sapphire eyes with a look of firmness, malice and a slight signature smirk.

Yes. He was dead serious.

Clare felt her heart slowly begin pounding in her chest again as she watched him firmly gaze into her eyes, awaiting a response. She could never tell if she liked what Eli did to her. Before she met him, Clare never skipped a class, never handed in late homework and never dared to be rebellious. She would've never dreamed of screaming in a public area just to prove a point or mess around with the final edit of a film project just for the scorn she felt over one of the members of her group. Yet, the way he looked into her eyes when he proposed an antic and the perfect lopsided smirk that silently prayed she would agree with him always convinced her to go along with him. Even though he made her do things she never normally would do, Clare always found herself having the time of her life when she went along with him.

Now, Eli Goldsworthy was asking Clare Edwards to break into school with him. The answer was quite obvious in her mind. She nodded in agreement, smiling cautiously.

His smirk spread into a grin at the sight of her response. With another tap on the gas pedal, the car sped off down the quiet suburban neighbourhood.

"Degrassi, here we come."

* * *

"Pray tell how we're going to get in?" Clare whispered, gazing at the school through the windshield. The car was parked in the first empty lot as they gazed at the building before them. The doors were tightly closed and a few lit rooms could be seen from their position; obviously faculty or janitors may be patrolling the indoors of the establishment.

Eli kept his hands on the wheel and his gaze at the building, thinking. "There are probably janitors scouring the area at this time; and they would lock the front doors. We'd have to find another way in."

Clare turned to face him, watching him gaze restlessly at the school as his eyes flickered from time to time. He must have been jumping from one idea to the next. She couldn't imagine a different way to get in other than the front doors and maybe that exit from the gym; and those must obviously be locked.

"Ah… the roof," he said softly, shutting his eyes in happiness as he grinned.

Clare, on the other hand, was completely confused. "The roof? How would we get in from the roof? Actually, how do we even get on the roof to begin with?"

Eli chuckled, shaking his head at her innocence. "Ah, Clare, it's quite simple. There's a ladder on the side of the building, there where they keep the trash. All you'll need to do is let me jump atop a dumpster and pull the ladder down for you. We then climb onto the roof and enter the school via the doors."

He smiled at her throughout his explanation, obviously proud of his plan. It sounded like it was an infallible plan. After all, she did remember passing the door in the hallway marked "Roof Access: Do Not Enter" every day on the way to the cafeteria. Still, Clare pursed her lips. It seemed too obvious; and too simple.

"What about the doors leading to the roof? What if they're locked?"

Eli smiled widely. "That's the beauty of it! Doors leading to a roof are always locked from indoors to prevent any students from accessing the roof but allowing anyone who is currently on the roof to be able to find a way back into the school. It's foolproof, Clare."

She smirked lightly at his explanation, feeling the nervousness begin to form itself. It seemed like such a good idea when they were parked in the middle of the street, _far away_ from the school. Now that it was actually time to put their plan into effect, Clare was starting to second guess her decision. What if they got caught?

"Eli, I'm not sure if-"

"Clare, don't forget, you're the one who agreed to this," he said sharply, interrupting her. He was used to being able to crack that protective shell she would form around her feelings. There was no doubt he'd be able to do it again tonight. Besides, Clare always seemed to be much happier and liberated when he convinced her to do the things she wouldn't normally do. Like, break into the school, for instance.

Damn, he was right… Clare would have to make a mental note to think twice before melting under the perfection of his smirk and agree to whatever ridiculous antic he proposed. Well, there was no turning back now. Although she felt slightly opposed to it, she would much rather fight for her pride than give in to her cowardice. If breaking into the school from the roof was what it took to convince Eli she wasn't the type to be weak and back down, then she'll do it. With nothing but a dry smile to him, she opened her door and stepped outside, determination written all over her face.

Eli followed suit, stepping out of the car as well as he watched her take firm strides towards the school, her heels clicking against the pavement. He had barely noticed she had exchanged her usual pair of flats for an actual pair of heels. In fact, he didn't even take the time to actually _see_ what she had decided to wear.

She wore the prettiest navy dress. It was simple, quaint with a touch of class. Her heels weren't high and the makeup on her face was scarce. She really didn't try to look like a glamorous Hollywood starlet; yet, the way the navy dress complimented her skin and brought out the color in her sapphire eyes hidden by her short, tousled hair… it took his breath away. An iconic supermodel may spit on her lack of fashion but it would only be out of spite or jealousy at the fact that Clare could look so magnificently stunning with so little.

Clare felt her heart rate accelerate as she watched him slowly make his way towards where she stood waiting for him. She felt the nervousness trickle down her spine. He was really taking his sweet time. She only wished this was the cause of her anxiety. What frightened her most was the way he gazed at her as he approached. He kept his eyes glued on her with the occasional flicker she would see when he was thinking about multiple things at once. His expression was neutral yet soft as he came to a stop beside her, gazing into her eyes. She felt her heart come to an abrupt stop, praying her knees wouldn't give and send her tumbling to the ground.

"Dumpster's this way," he said with a smile. Her eyes widened as he tore his gaze away and began striding towards the side of the building. Wow, that was an odd thing to say. Way to ruin the moment, Eli.

Eli, on the other hand, snickered under his breath as he heard the fast clicks of her heels following close behind. Yes, he purposely ruined that moment. They had more important things to do.

* * *

"Be careful…" Clare whispered urgently, watching as he mentally prepared himself for his task.

Eli smirked in response. "You need to have more faith in me, Edwards…"

Just as he had predicted, there was a large dumpster right underneath the ladder on the side of the building. Although atop the dumpster, he'd still have to jump to reach the ladder, which worried Clare slightly. The last thing they needed was for him to break his neck.

With a quick intake of breath, he hopped atop the dumpster in a sleek and swift manner, leaving Clare somewhat dumbfounded. Who knew he was athletic at all? She felt it was probably easier to return her breathing to a normal pace; and easier to have a little more faith in him. He effortlessly leapt and grabbed a hold of the ladder, taking a sharp intake of breath as he and the ladder came sliding to the ground. Clare heard that sharp intake of breath; maybe Eli really _was_ a little nervous about breaking his neck too. She smiled under her breath. It would be useless to bring it up; he'd just deny her. But she knew what she heard. Eli had a fearful side too, it seemed.

He dusted himself off before gesturing towards the ladder. "Ladies first."

Clare gulped as she grabbed a hold of the side of the ladder and took her first step. She still couldn't stomach the fact that she, Clare Edwards, was actually climbing a ladder onto the roof of her school in an attempt to break in. Although a little fearful over what turn of events could possibly happen to them before the night was over, she had to admit she was having some fun. A small part of her was actually thankful she had forgotten the tickets in her locker.

Once atop the roof, she grabbed Eli's outstretched hand and helped him off the ladder. She hadn't realized how high they were until she caught a glimpse of the city in the distance. Lights were lit in the tall buildings and she was surprised to find out that she was able to see the top of a grand tree from where she stood. Yet, what surprised her most was when she decided to steal a glance at Eli. He stood beside her, staring at the doors that led into the school, completely oblivious at the way she saw him at that moment. He was surrounded by the night sky and, atop the roof of Degrassi Community School, higher up than any other person in the school could ever dream to be, the stars that shone in the sky seemed that much closer, almost as if she would be able to catch one if it decided to fall towards him. If it did, she'd be sure to catch it.

She was snapped out of her daydream when Eli moved, walking towards the solid, metal door that led to the school. He struggled slightly to push it forward as Clare began scurrying towards the door. She didn't want him to hold the heavy door for long, especially now that he was showing signs of struggle to keep it open for her.

* * *

"We should take a peek before going, in case anyone is around," Eli whispered to her as she clung to his side, attempting to have a look through the crack in the doorway. They had passed through the first door and descended the short, metal staircase towards the second door that would gain them entry to the hallowed hallway of their school.

"It looks clear," she hissed softly as she gestured for him to open the door. She stepped away, giving him some room.

Eli quietly pulled the door open, revealing the familiar hallway he passed through every day. That's it, they did it! They've officially snuck into their school on a Saturday night. Now that Eli thought about it, when put that way, it made them seem like complete nerds.

"I don't get it…" he heard her whisper under her breath.

"What's confusing you?"

Clare hesitated a bit before answering. "It just seems so easy to get in. What if we were robbers or arsonists or something of the sort?"

Eli rolled his eyes. Here they were, breaking into the school, and all she could think about is what would have happened if they were arsonists? "The school has an alarm system and tight security. The alarm is disabled now because of the janitorial service."

She sighed sharply. She already knew _that_. She just needed a way to calm her nerves. Taking in a heavy breath for good luck, she took a dainty step into the hallway, Eli following at her heels.

Scanning the hallway, she felt her heart rate return to normal. The corridor was completely deserted, save for a few lights that had been opened prior to their arrival. They were safe, at least for now.

"Now, how do we get to your locker from here?" he asked. Clare's eyes suddenly widened with surprise. She knew Eli was behind her but she didn't realize exactly how _close_ he was. She felt her heart skip when she felt his breath tickle the back of her neck when he asked his question. Her body stiffened. She was at a complete loss over what to do next.

"Clare?" Eli asked sharply, snapping her out of her daze.

"I-I usually take a detour through the cafeteria," she said suddenly with slight hesitation, mentally kicking herself at her momentary stupidity. Clare had always been the type to be able to keep a promise. Obviously she couldn't keep such a simple promise she had made to herself and to Adam about not expecting anything tonight. She scampered to catch up to Eli, who had already begun striding down the hall towards the cafeteria without a word.

* * *

"We're clear," Eli whispered as he peeked through the crack in the doorway, scanning the cafeteria for any sign of human life. He pulled the door open and let her pass before doing so himself.

Clare curiously gazed at the cafeteria. She was so used to seeing it filled with students laughing, talking or waiting in line to buy some lunch. It was so bizarre to see it dark and empty with nothing but a few ceiling lights here and there to give it some sort of life. She had to admit, she liked it better during the day when it was filled with the bustle of students and conversation. The moments she spent here with Adam and Eli or Alli were easily the best part of her day.

She was about to comment on the state of the deserted lunchroom but abruptly stopped herself. She had turned to face Eli, who looked stiffened with fear. Confused at his odd behaviour, she nudged his shoulder.

"Eli, what's the matter?" she hissed.

He took a sharp but hesitant breath. "Do you hear what I'm hearing?"

She shifted her gaze into a perplexed expression, listening closely to the sounds that encircled them. At first, she would have assumed he was overreacting. They were constantly vigilant and careful; she believed they would have heard or seen someone approaching long before the intruder would have the chance to catch them. But, much to her dismay, he was right. She heard the thumping of loud footsteps in the distance.

In the very _near_ distance.

Someone was swiftly making their way down the corridor they had just come out of and was fast approaching the cafeteria. Clare's breath stopped, her face melting into an expression of fear and anxiety. She felt Eli firmly grab her wrist and softly tug her behind him, his arm outstretching to cover the rest of her body. Under the dread and terror that overwhelmed her every thought, Clare couldn't help but feel slightly perplexed. The way Eli pulled her behind him, the way he slightly covered her visibility… he was protecting her. Clare assumed it could have been some sort of knee-jerk reaction of his but, statistically, how many men out there honestly had the reflex to protect the woman they were with when they sensed danger or fear? Not many, she assumed; and plus, the idea of Eli protecting her added a slight feeling of happiness in their moments of emotional turmoil.

"Clare…" she heard him hiss sharply. She merely blinked at him, awaiting the rest of his sentence.

"I want you to run. As fast as you can. Now."

Clare didn't need to be told twice. She darted towards the other end of the cafeteria, outstretching her right arm to prepare herself to push the heavy door that separated them from their only escape. This would have been helpful had the door on the other end of the cafeteria not been so _heavy_. She never imagined it would be this hard to open; after all, it would always stay propped open during the day for the students. She continued pushing the door with all her might when she felt Eli skid to a halt beside her, helping her push it open.

The door flung open, revealing their destination: rows and rows of lockers and safety. Clare jumped into the hallway, furthering herself from the cafeteria as much as she could. She could have sworn she heard the heavy doors from the other side of the cafeteria open up when they had let the door on their side close, and it would have been obvious to whoever entered the cafeteria that someone had exited from the other side. She silently prayed they couldn't care less and couldn't be bothered to investigate.

Eli sighed heavily, placing his hands behind his head with relief. "We're safe…"

"For now…" Clare responded, smiling softly at him. If it hadn't been for him, she'd still be struggling to open that door and would have been caught by now.

He mimicked her smile. Damn it, she looked cute. "Where's your locker?"

He let his hands drop to his side as he watched her attempt to return her heart rate to normal. She must've been frightened out of her wits just now. He watched as she smiled in response and began leisurely walking towards the hoard of lockers, attempting to minimize the clicking sound her heels made when she stepped on the laminated floor tiles. Her efforts were useless; he was positive he could have heard her clicking from the other hallway across the cafeteria. But the way she tried to minimize the sound by taking small, dainty steps on her toes made him smile. She looked incredibly adorable and did not even realize it.

Once at her locker, she restlessly fiddled with the lock, trying numerous different combinations. Her hands shook with excitement, which usually ruined the combination she was trying out. The one time she _really_ needed to open her locker quickly, she couldn't even remember the combination required to unlock it.

Eli crossed his arms out of boredom and propped himself against the adjacent locker. He just might roll his eyes at her if she screws up the next combination she tries. If she screws up the one after that, he'll flash her one of his signature smirks. And if by some stroke of fate there happens to be another attempt after that one, she'll get a very witty and well-thought sarcastic comment, a true Eli original. Part of him wished she would get that far, just for the chance to see her disappointed smirk at his inappropriate yet clever sarcasm.

Much to his dismay, the lock opened on her current attempt and she flung the door open, her eyes scanning the contents of her locker for the damn tickets that caused all this trouble to begin with. Oh well, the comment would have to wait for another time…

He watched as she stuffed her hand into a metallic pouch stuck on her door beside an oddly shaped mirror and a poster of actor Robert Pattinson. He furrowed his brow in disgust at the poster. What did girls _honestly_ love about this guy? He had the feeling he may never understand. His attention was quickly diverted to the two tickets she pulled out of the pouch, the exact ones that actually convinced Clare Edwards to break into school. But not entirely, obviously. Eli had to take some credit for that too.

"The tickets!" she squealed with happiness as she jumped twice in place. She felt completely overwhelmed with happiness. After everything they had gone through tonight, they had finally found what they were looking for.

Eli chuckled. "And here I thought I could trust you with these. Were you not the one who suggested you were the better candidate to take care of them?"

Clare would have given him a teasing grin but was too excited to even think straight at the moment. She beamed at him in response. "Sure, but we've got them now, don't we, Eli?"

Eli smirked in response. He had run out of things to say to her. He would love nothing more than to make a teasing remark and watch her brow furrow with disappointment but, the way she beamed at him and the amount of happiness he could feel pulsating from her smile, he decided against it. She looked so _happy_, as if she had gotten a brand new puppy for her birthday. All they did was break into school to retrieve two tickets from her locker. Yet, she beamed at those tickets as if they had just found buried treasure. He couldn't help but notice how much fun she was having. She always had fun with him when he convinced her to break out of her protective shell and let things go for a while. And that smile, that one perfect smile he got to see after every antic the two of them pull off, was always worth it; every single time.

He inched slightly closer to her, stealing a look at her eyes. From the day he met her, those blue eyes had captured his attention. It wasn't the shade of her eyes; he had seen many blue-eyed girls before, too many to count. But hers were different; they held secrets, thoughts, and a fiery personality. Clare may act like a good saint most of the time but, as he spent more time with her, he got to know another side of her. A side she only lets out on occasions she needed it most. She had a fire in her to stand up for what she believed in, to speak her mind without backing down and defend herself from those who attempted to bring her down. She was strong-willed yet still needed convincing from him to scream in a public area. This is what he liked most about her. Her eyes could tell him a million stories yet she was always able to find a way to surprise him.

Her beautiful, beaming smile abruptly fell. She pursed her lips in confusion, snapping Eli out of his daze.

"Do you hear that?" she asked softly.

Eli frowned, lifting his head to help his hearing. Clare was right, there was a soft sound coming from the end of the hallway. He heard the sound of murmurs and chattering, as if multiple groups of people were having conversations at that exact moment.

"It sounds like it's coming from the auditorium," he suggested, turning to face the other side of the hallway.

Clare hastily shut her locker. "Let's go see."

They rounded the corner, finding themselves at the entrance of the school which also happened to be across the entrance of the auditorium. The lights shone brightly within the auditorium, which seemed to be filled with people. The mindless chatter came from within, causing the confused expressions on their faces to grow. What was going on in there? Eli quickly hopped up the short flight of stairs, approaching a large sign that hung from the door.

His eyes suddenly widened with shock. "Are you kidding me?"

Clare hurried over to the foot of the stairs, worried at his reaction. "What's wrong?"

Eli turned to face her, gazing at her from the top of the steps. She had trouble deciphering his expression; he seemed confused, angry and relieved at the same time. But, he mostly seemed shocked; shocked, with a glimmer of understanding.

"There's a seminar tonight; right now. The LGBT community is having some sort of discussion about homophobia," he said softly.

Clare felt her jaw drop. Was he serious? "So we…"

"Broke in for nothing," he finished.

Clare still had trouble believing him. "And if we got caught…"

"They would have assumed we were attending the seminar."

"So that means the doors…"

"…were open and unlocked… the entire time," he admitted softly, feeling an odd mixture of anger and surprise.

With a blank expression, Clare slowly approached the front door as he hopped down the stairs to join her. She lightly pushed it, half expecting it to be locked.

The door opened.

She turned to face him, mimicking his surprised yet completely perplexed expression. They had climbed atop a dumpster, pulled a ladder down, climbed into the school through the roof and ran like idiots across the cafeteria… when they could have just used the front door. They stared at each other for a moment, completely shocked at their stupidity.

Suddenly, Clare broke out into a fit of laughter. Eli joined her soon afterwards, holding the door for support. They went through _all that_ when all they needed to do was pull a glass door open. Clare couldn't help but laugh at their idiocy. This had to be one of the best nights of her life. She was sure to capture a mental image of this. She and Eli, laughing like idiots at the mere fact that the front door to their school opened normally.

Eli shook his head, disappointed with himself as he fought back a few laughs. "Maybe we should just get out of here…"

Clare swiftly nodded in response. Yeah, that seemed like the best idea. After all, what would the people attending the LGBT seminar think of the two teens, dressed a little classier than usual, laughing like idiots at the front door? She was sure Eli wouldn't care. She wouldn't either, as long as she was with him.

* * *

The night air had gotten considerably cooler since the last time they had been outside. Clare shivered slightly, wrapping her shawl around her shoulders, smiling under her breath. If she could do this over, if she had been told prior to leaving school on Friday that she should remember to take the tickets with her, she would have still left them in that black magnetic pouch that hung on her locker door. She always had fun with Eli; whether they were exchanging teasing words in English class or resorting to public humiliation to prove a point. Had they had the tickets in hand and gone to the play, they would be forced to keep their eyes fixated on a stage with no liberty to talk or laugh or share any memorable moments. Wasn't that the only reason why she looked so forward to tonight? To have pure and uninhibited fun with her good friend? Sure, the play will probably be spectacular, but she felt the little detour they took beforehand was the only part of the night she'll remember forever. Would Eli have attempted to protect her from being caught in the cafeteria had they simply gone to the play? Or would he have inched so _damn _closely to her when he asked her to lead him to her locker? No, he wouldn't have.

She raised her head and gazed at the boy standing beside her, smiling at him. She should probably just thank him now for the best Saturday night of her life; the play would just be an added bonus at this point.

"Clare…" he sighed in disappointment, his expression falling. She felt her smile fall as well. _She_ may have had one of the best nights of her life but she was honestly wondering if he felt the same way. Maybe Adam was right not to expect anything. Maybe Eli really hadn't sorted himself out yet and merely bought her tickets to a play as an apology for his cold behaviour towards her, and nothing more.

"It's five minutes to eleven," he said softly, turning to face her, "Even if we left now, by the time we get to the theatre, it'll be over…"

Clare blinked at his disappointed smile, surprised. They had been having so much fun actually _getting_ the tickets, she didn't even realize what time it was. So much for Romeo and Juliet… and it was all her fault.

"I'm such an idiot…" she said softly, gazing at him with a saddened look.

Had she not been so _stupid_, they would have actually been at the show at that very moment. Clare couldn't imagine the amount of money he must've spent on the tickets, just for a chance for them to have a good time. And her carelessness ruined _everything_. Here he was, the most mysterious yet witty and charming boy she'd ever met, trying to make her happy with sweet gestures and all she could do was ruin all of his efforts. She wouldn't be surprised if he decided never to speak to her again; which would make their grading papers in English very awkward.

And what the hell was he smirking at? She wished she could just rip that smile off of his face so he could never captivate her again or convince her to expose her vulnerable side. She wished he had never asked her to stop from leaving his home, to listen to him as he spilled his dark secrets to her. And who was she trying to fool? She also wished she had never wished these first two wishes. Because, no matter how much she tried to hide it, he had stolen her heart. She didn't know how but, throughout the bouts of public humiliation, the laughs they shared from proofreading their papers and even their modernized Romeo and Juliet film project, he held onto her heart with a firm grip. His perfect eyes occupied her every thought and his voice was the soundtrack to her mornings. She wished he knew what he had done to her; maybe then he'd realize how hard it was for her to give him the time he needed to sort himself out.

"Clare, don't say that-" he said gently. She seemed very upset and the last thing he wanted to do was sound demanding.

"How can I not?" she answered, sounding very upset as she paced around the sidewalk, "_I'm_ the one who proposed to keep the tickets and _I'm_ the one who forgot them. _I'm_ the reason we spent the entire night humiliating ourselves because of a mistake _I_ made, Eli!"

She approached the wooden bench near the front of the school and sat down, sighing heavily. "It was very nice of you to get tickets to a show for you and me. I just don't see how it's fitting that you're being punished for a stupid mistake I made."

Eli's jaw dropped slightly. Was she honestly serious about this? He dug his hands into his pockets as he approached her. "Punished? You think I'm being punished?"

Clare gazed at him, completely perplexed. "You must have spent a fortune on those tickets and they've just gone to waste."

He rolled his eyes, smiling brightly as he let out a laugh. "I got them for _you_, Clare! I've watched the Montagues and Capulets go at it a million times, I doubt another play would be any different!"

He took a seat beside her. "I just wanted us to have fun together. I don't know about you but breaking into the school was nothing short of awesome."

Clare stood still for a moment, letting him gaze into her eyes as she processed his response. She did have an amazing time with him tonight; every moment she spent with him was always one of the best moments of her life. Did they really need a show to have fun together? She smiled at him. No, they didn't.

"By the way, _you_ looked like you were having a ball when we broke into the school, Edwards," he added with a smirk.

She chuckled, nodding at him. "I was having a lot of fun. Besides, who needs to go to a play to have some fun?"

Eli smirked in response. "You're right. We already know how it ends anyways. Juliet wakes up to find Romeo and they share one last kiss before he dies."

Clare nodded, her face falling. Even though they changed the ending, something still seemed off about it. Eli swapped his happy expression for a neutral one as well, wondering what could possibly be bothering her.

"Even after our changes, the end still seems depressing," she said softly, gazing into his eyes.

He returned her gaze, staring into her perfect sapphire eyes. It was at that exact spot where he had broken her glasses. He had shattered the protective glass that kept her eyes shielded from the world, her perfectly pretty eyes that revealed her every thought; her perfectly pretty eyes that had captivated his thoughts since the moment he had laid eyes on her. And those beautiful eyes seemed to be saddened by her last comment.

"Romeo doesn't have to die," he said simply, his gaze growing soft as he inched closer to her.

Clare held her breath as she felt his lips touch hers. How long had she been waiting for this moment? She had obviously kissed him before during their film project but that kiss could never compare with this one; the first kiss was sharp, slightly awkward and tainted with nervousness. This one was uninhibited, mesmerizing and magical. She slowly raised her hands and placed them around his neck. She couldn't let him leave now, not ever. Not when she was holding the very definition of perfection in her dainty hands.

She smiled brightly, breaking their kiss. She gazed into his eyes, watching as he playfully smirked at her.

"I'm glad I forgot the tickets," she confessed.

Eli chuckled in response, inching closer to her, "I think I like this ending better."

He gazed thoughtfully into her eyes, wondering what secrets she was hiding behind those gemstones she had for eyes. In some ways, he couldn't care less. This girl, the one who screamed in public and always had a response to his snide remarks, had a hold of his heart. The way her eyes flickered with understanding when he was being subtle, the way she argued when she was angry and the way she smiled when he'd made her happy… it was all the small things about her that captivated him, that invaded his every thought and had him occasionally sing along to those sappy love songs on the radio. Whoever wrote those lyrics obviously don't have a clue what it's like to hold perfection in your arms; they'd never met Clare.

At that moment, during that one perfect moment that would stay frozen in his mind forever, he felt he didn't need any more time. He knew exactly what he wanted; he wanted her. And that was all.

He felt her wrap her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer, their lips meeting again; sharing another moment of what they now knew was absolute perfection.

* * *

Clare yawned as she opened one of her textbooks to a random page. She didn't hate Monday mornings; just the fact that it meant she had an entire week ahead of her before she had another day off. She jumped with surprise as she heard the fast thump of Adam's footsteps across the floor and the clunk of his books as he dropped them on his desk.

"Hi Clare!" he exclaimed, hopping enthusiastically into his seat.

"Um, hi Adam…" she said, feeling rather confused. It was very odd to see Adam Torres so chipper, especially on a Monday morning.

"So…" he said softly, watching her with anticipation. He wasn't being very subtle; in fact he was being very clear that he wanted an explanation from her. Clare sighed, flashing him a smile. Adam believed in saving syllables and not wasting words.

"So, what?" she asked, playing dumb.

Adam sighed, rolling his eyes. "The play, Clare! How was it?"

Clare's jaw dropped slightly, at a complete loss for words. She and Eli didn't quite discuss what they were going to say to Adam about it. "Well, um… it was…"

"Asking about the play, Adam?"

Clare sighed in relief, feeling her heart rate return to normal. Let Eli figure out what they were going to say. She watched Adam nod slowly, shifting himself in his chair into a more comfortable position.

Eli sat himself down at his seat, dropping his bag on the floor before turning to face Adam. "It was great, Adam. And we had lots of fun. It was an absolutely perfect night."

Adam nodded in approval. "Hm. Cool."

Clare leaned forward towards her desk as Adam turned around to face the front of the class. "It was great?" she whispered at the wonderful boy who sat in front of her.

Eli turned and faced her, gazing into her eyes as he smirked at the magnificent girl who sat behind him. "No, it was perfect."

* * *

**I have this weird feeling everyone seemed completely OOC, especially Adam. :) I added that Sugarcult song in there because the lyrics remind me so much Clare and Eli. If you guys get a chance, I urge you to check it out! **

**This story was dedicated to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers. Love you guys! Hope you enjoyed it. :)**


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